Monster Force
by AirHawk19
Summary: After the events of the movie, life is good and quiet at Area 52. A new monster arrives, but other than that, things are quiet. Until certain forces find Earth and decide it's the perfect planet to exploit for one of the rarest commodities in the galaxy: humans. On hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Monsters vs Aliens or any characters or materials taken from the movie, TV series, etc. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Author's Note: Rewritten, repolished, and hopefully better. Also, this story has elements that were inspired by Wordmangler's work, so be sure to check it out. It's far better than mine.**

Chapter 1: New Monster: Part 1.

It was quiet as the group walked into the town. Susan, with her height advantage, scanned the area. The town was dark, dead silent, and she spotted nothing that could be called unusual among the grey concrete and dark brick walls of the buildings. Doctor Cockroach was fiddling with some sort of device he'd whipped up from some odds and ends in his pockets, while Link scouted ahead, ducking behind dumpsters, trees, and other various obstacles. Bob just kind of stayed behind Doctor Cockroach, not really paying any attention to what was going on, getting distracted by a few bits of paper blowing across the ground in a dark alleyway. Looking around once more, Susan narrowed her eyes. Something didn't feel right.

"Guys, keep your eyes and ears open. Something's not right here, so be ready for anything," she said.

No sooner had she spoken, than Susan had to duck as a truck was launched at her head from down the road to her left, accompanied by an angry roar. Susan's head whipped around in the direction of the roar to find a small group of giant praying mantises bearing down on them. Susan looked around for something she could use as a weapon and, grabbing the nearest thing, hurled a van at the group of charging bugs. The mantises scattered and the van crashed down the hill, slamming into a few parked cars at the bottom.

"You want some of this?" Link yelled, leaping onto the nearest mantis from behind a pole.

The mantis screeched and flailed its forelegs, trying to reach Link to throw him off. Susan meanwhile, was busy trying to swat the bugs crawling up her huge body. The mantises' claws hurt and they were biting her as well, making the normally docile Susan quite annoyed. With a cry of pain, the giantess brought her hand down on her left shoulder, squashing the mantis that had decided to latch onto her with its jaws. She swiped and swatted at several more, but they seemed to have picked up on their friend's demise and scurried from place to place faster than Susan's hand could travel.

"Doc! Any time you wanna help with that gadget of yours!" Susan exclaimed as she continued to swipe at the mantises on her body.

"Just a moment, Susan! I've almost got it… There! Ha-ha! Eat anti-mutation matter ray, vile creatures!" the Doc exclaimed, laughing maniacally as he blasted the bugs off of Susan with the mini blaster gun he'd whipped up.

Link meanwhile, was starting to lose his grip on the mantis he had been bronc busting and called out, "Hey, Bob! I could use your help over here!"

"I'm coming, Link!" the blue blob exclaimed, launching himself at Link and taking him clean off the mantis.

Bob then spit his friend up and grinned, looking pleased with himself. Link stood up and shook his head to clear the goop out of his ears. "Ok, that's not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it works. Now let's finish off these overgrown bugs."

Link and Bob then engaged the remaining mantises before they could reach Susan and squashed them in their various ways. Doctor Cockroach managed to blast most of the bugs before his blaster burned out, but a few still remained on Susan. The giantess, desperate to get the last of the biting insects off, threw herself onto her back, squishing the last of them. Unfortunately, she didn't look behind herself beforehand and crushed a small store building as well. A moment later, Link smashed the last bug and the town began to disintegrate into holo-pixels, revealing a large, white, dome-shaped room with hologram projectors lining its walls and a sixty foot door on one side. Monger flew in a moment later on his jetpack.

"Good work, monsters. You squashed the bugs. Along with several vehicles and a building," the general said, looking up at a blushing Susan on the latter item. "However, I will admit you are getting better. At least this time you didn't take out the apartment building, Ginormica. That's enough training for today. You're getting a new teammate."

"That's today?" Susan asked, remembering Monger's announcement a few days before.

"Yep. We just brought her in last night and she should be waking up by now. Head on out to the common room and get acquainted," Monger said, nodding to the door.

Susan grinned brightly at hearing the newcomer had finally arrived and eagerly ran towards the door. She checked her speed when she remembered that there would be normal-size people out and about in the corridors, but still proceeded at a quick pace. As she hurried through the base, Susan wondered what the new monster would be like. She wondered if she would be more human or more beast-like, if she would be friendly or not so much, if she'd be lonely or scared or… Susan paused a moment as a thought struck her. What if the new monster was just like her when she first arrived at Area 52?

Now, Susan would never wish anyone to go through what she went through when she first arrived, but a small part of her did hope the new monster would be similar. As she continued on her way, Susan remembered her first day at Area 52…

* * *

 _It was cold and hard, like a metal shelf, but her mind was half distracted by sleep as she rolled over to hit the snooze button. WHAM! The jolt from the impact with the floor woke her completely and she could see she wasn't in Kansas anymore. Or, well, Fresno. Susan huddled up, scared and confused. That, was but the first of her problems. Next, she was unceremoniously shoved into a large, cold, bare metal room with a bunch of strange creatures, then led around the facility by a general who's preferred mode of transportation was a jetpack, and told she was a monster and a prisoner here by said general._

 _After that, Susan had felt true and utter humiliation as she was unceremoniously stripped and examined by a group of cold scientists, who only saw her as a subject and not a person. Then she was locked back in her cell and told her name was now Ginormica._

* * *

Susan shuddered at the remembrance. That, had been one of the worst days of her life and she had spent most of it in tears. She shuddered again. At least Area 52 had come a long way since those dark days, when she and the other monsters had been mere prisoners. Now, they were treated fairly and kindly and had all kinds of creature comforts. Monger had proven to be a real friend as soon as the President had made their freedom official, and made sure they were comfortable and cared for. Susan smiled as she recalled the day Monger had taken on a monster-hating mob single-handedly to protect them after a mission. That single act had forever sealed the monsters' trust in Monger and they, mostly, followed his orders without question or complaint.

At this point, Susan realized she'd passed the common room while lost in thought. She turned around and eagerly entered, resolving to make the new monster feel at home and help her adjust to her new life. As she entered, Susan was shocked to see a huge, humanoid figure, completely bald, but covered from head to toe in ruby-red scales and wearing a black tank top and shorts. A pair of magnificent, wine-colored wings were folded down her back, and a long tail sprouted from her backside, trailing along the floor behind her and tapering down to a point, where a bone-white spike grew out of it. The only other feature Susan could see, as the figure stood with her back to her, was the top of the pair of bone-white horns that seemed to sweep back over the newcomer's head from the front.

Seeing as the new monster was about her height, Susan approached and laid a friendly hand on her shoulder in greeting. "Hi. I'm Ginormica, but you can just call me Susan."

The new monster turned around and blinked in surprise. She smiled a moment later, revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp fangs. "I'm Dragonis," she said, shaking Susan's hand warmly.

Suddenly, Susan started glowing with an aqua-green aura and Dragonis started glowing with a red-orange one. Both tried to release their hands, but something was holding them together. Both pulled harder, but it was no use. After a few moments, an aqua-green substance flowed out of Susan as a red-orange one flowed out of Dragonis. The substances mixed and intermingled within them before bonding and the glow faded.

"What the heck just happened?! What was that?" Susan exclaimed, feeling over her torso and head for anything out of whack.

Dragonis gave a low whistle. "And I thought all that stuff about Fusonium was a myth."

"Fusonium? What are you talking about? Do you know what just happened to us?" Susan questioned.

"Fusonium is like Quantonium, only red instead of green and apparently, it bonds permanently with Quantonium, so, our power can never be taken from us. At least, according to legend," Dragonis explained.

"Wha… And you're not the slightest bit freaked out about all this?" Susan asked.

Dragonis shook her head. "Nah, not really. A lot of weird things have happened to me in my life."

Susan blinked in surprise, but shook her head a moment later. Taking a good look at Dragonis from the front, Susan saw her horns did indeed sprout from her forehead and sweep gracefully back over her head and up into two very sharp points. However, due to their angle and position, it was obvious the horns were more of a natural defensive helmet than an offensive goring weapon. She also noticed that Dragonis also had bone-white spikes growing out of her shoulders, elbows and knees. These, could possibly be used as weapons if Dragonis chose, though Susan doubted she would do so unless threatened. Overall, despite her dragon-like attributes, Dragonis' face was decidedly human in shape, with high cheekbones, round ruby eyes, a Grecian nose, strong jaw, and an average brow.

Now that she'd had a good look at her, Susan wanted to know more about Dragonis herself. Mostly, why she seemed so calm. "Anyway, aren't you scared? Being in a strange place, with strange beings and all that?"

Dragonis shrugged. "I expected sooner or later I'd wind up someplace like this. I was born a dragon-lady, you know."

"Wait, what? You were born like this?" Susan asked, very much surprised.

"Scales, fangs, claws, horns, wings, tail, fire breath, and carnivorous nature, yes. Fifty feet tall, no. The Fusonium did that, as well as increase my already prodigious strength," Dragonis stated.

Just then, Doctor C. walked in and up to Dragonis. "Hello. I'm Doctor Cockroach. Ph.D., not MD," he said in his dignified British accent.

The dragon-lady smiled. "Dragonis. Mad scientist, I take it?"

"Most assuredly." And Doctor Cockroach went off into his signature maniacal laugh.

Dragonis just rolled her eyes and chuckled. Soon Link, Bob and Insectosaurus entered the common room and introduced themselves. Dragonis was amiable and friendly enough, but she also seemed distant and restless. Every so often her left ear would twitch and her head would turn in that direction slightly. Then she'd grunt softly and clench her fists, clenching her teeth as though trying very hard to do something, or not do something.

"Hey, uh, you ok there, Dragonis? What's with the twitching?" Link asked the fourth time it happened.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry. I guess I'm just a little restless is all. New place and all that. Is there someplace I can go to think and be alone?" Dragonis asked, looking around uneasily.

"You can get back in your room anytime you want. But, they're making some changes at the moment. It'll be a while, since they're anodizing the walls. The base doesn't use paint anymore, since they've had problems with it being used for explosives. Don't ask. You can use my room if you like," Susan offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Sometimes I can get a little… physical when I'm trying to work something out. I don't wanna wreck your room," Dragonis explained, rubbing the back of her head.

Susan didn't quite know what to make of that, but decided now was not the time to press for answers. Instead she shrugged and suggested the battle room. Dragonis nodded and muttered something that could have been thanks or could have been cussing for all Susan knew, as the dragon-woman headed in the wrong direction in a very distracted manner.

"Um, Dragonis… the battle room's the other way," Susan pointed out.

Dragonis whirled around and reversed course, muttering something under her breath. Doctor Cockroach looked up at Susan, a mildly concerned look on his face. Susan looked back at him, an even more concerned look on her face and shrugged, turning to watch the hulking, red scaled figure walking away, her long tapering tail swaying back and forth in a manner not unlike an agitated cat's.

* * *

Monger glanced up as the new monster walked by on her way to the battle room. He sighed when he caught the look on her face. It was the look of one who had much on her mind, but was unwilling to 'burden' anyone with her struggles. Dragonis was an odd case and Monger knew she had issues to work through, so he gave her the space and time she needed. Sighing once more, the old general turned back to the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

* * *

Dragonis entered the battle room and at once threw back her head, loosing a roar of frustration and sending a fifty foot jet of flame from her maw. Once she was done, she snorted smoke and surveyed the damage. She sighed in relief to find she hadn't done any damage, as the chamber was nearly two hundred feet high. She then proceeded to do push-ups, hoping to quiet her uneasy mind by physical exertion.

It hadn't been an hour, when Dragonis' workout was interrupted by a scream. Sighing, the dragon-woman ignored the shriek and moved from sit-ups to 'tail-ups', using her prehensile tail to pull her massive body off the ground via a solid light construct of a metal beam. The scream had been courtesy of a new, young lab-tech, who had come in to recalibrate some of the hologram projectors. Having never actually been in the same room as one of the monsters, she was taken off guard and decidedly shaken by the presence of this large, red, scaly, horned, humanoid creature, calmly pulling itself up by its huge tail. The tech-girl stood stock still for a few moments watching, expecting every moment to be attacked, but when the lizard-woman just went on with her workout like she wasn't even there, the girl relaxed enough to quickly duck out and race up the hall to her superior's office.

Dragonis sighed when she saw the girl leave. She had hoped to talk to her, maybe get her to see that she was more than just a beast-like mutant freak. But it seemed that even here, people were scared of monsters. With another sigh, Dragonis left the battle room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: New Monster: Part 2.

Upon returning to the common room, Dragonis found that Cockroach had gone off to his lab to experiment, Link had gone to play with Insecto, and Bob had wandered off to do… well, nothing in particular. Susan however was most curious about Dragonis. Not only was the new monster female, but she was also fifty feet tall! Well, fifty-two and a half feet to be precise, not counting the horns, which were ten feet long.

"So, what was your life like before…" Susan gestured to the common room.

"Before fifty foot? Well, I was born a mutant. My parents were perfectly normal and nothing weird happened to them before I was born, so it was a shock to say the least when I came out all red and scaly with wings, claws, and a tail. They tried, they really did, but in the end…" Dragonis sighed heavily. "In the end they abandoned me in a forest. I was six years old at the time."

Susan gasped. "That's awful! Why?"

"They couldn't handle my 'special needs'. They couldn't handle being judged because their daughter was an unnatural freak. They were afraid of hurting me," Dragonis replied, sighing sadly.

"What?!" Susan couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I overheard them talking the night before. They said they couldn't keep me without hurting me, because my nature wouldn't allow me to fit in with society. I didn't understand at the time, but now I do. They would have had to restrain me. There would have been so many rules to follow, I probably would have become violent. Especially during my teenage years. I was a wild beast back then. My instincts were too strong and I couldn't control or temper my nature due to my youth.

"However, I did meet with other mutants. Not exactly like me, but they understood enough about what I was going through to help me learn to control my powers and abilities. Thanks to their lessons, I'm able to hold this conversation with you. They taught me how to 'fit in' with normal society, even though I never really would be able to. I'm glad they did. It's nice to be able to talk to people, even if most of them would run away in terror of the old me, let alone the new me," Dragonis explained, smiling wryly.

"So, they taught you how to control your powers and fit in and your parents took you back, right?" Susan asked hopefully.

Dragonis shook her head. "No. I haven't seen my parents since they abandoned me. I don't even know if they're still alive or not. They probably are, but I doubt they want to see me.

"Anyway, I lived in the woods and wilds, hunting my own food and staying as far away from normals as possible. I was spotted a few times and every time I was hunted like an animal. I was caught once by a private bio-weapons company and experimented on. Actually, I was tortured. I was starved, beaten, nearly drowned, electrocuted, crushed under nearly two thousand tons of weight, and half dissected while fully conscious with no pain killers."

"And you survived?!" Susan was flabbergasted.

"Yep. My skeleton is perfectly indestructible and I have heal factor. It takes a lot to kill me, as my wounds heal within moments, but it is possible to overload my heal factor. I also can't live without food, water, or air. However, starvation, dehydration, and asphyxiation take much longer and are much more painful for me than a normal human," Dragonis said, wincing at a few painful memories.

"How long does it take?" Susan found herself asking, wincing in anticipation of the answer.

Dragonis sighed. "It takes about six months before I starve to death, eighteen days before dehydration kills me, and half an hour before asphyxiation does. However, I really do need to eat, drink, and breathe at least as often as a normal does to be fully healthy and happy."

"You don't seem phased by your new size or strength. I was totally freaked when I discovered how much damage I could do if I really wanted to," Susan shuddered, remembering the day she had totally demolished an old military base, when Monger and Cockroach were testing her limits.

Dragonis shrugged. "I admit it's rather weird being so big, but I've always been far, far stronger than the average man. Even when I was normal-sized, I could tear a tank apart with my bare hands. Plus, my fire-breath can literally melt just about anything. Even without my current size, I'm still a very dangerous and powerful force. In all honesty, I doubt even you could have stopped me if I went on a rampage back then. I wouldn't have been able to kill you, I still can't do that, but neither would you have been able to stop me."

"So, you're used to having to watch your strength?" Susan asked, a lightbulb going off in her head as the pieces fell into place.

Dragonis nodded. "Yep. When I said the Fusonium increased my strength, I was mostly talking about my lifting capacity. Sure, I could mold steel like putty, but I couldn't lift much more than about sixty tons. Now, I'm sure I could lift about five or six hundred tons. It'd probably be pushing it, but I could do it, especially if I had a lot of adrenaline pumping through my system."

"Why those figures?" Susan asked, scratching her head.

"I've increased in size by exactly ten times my original hight. I was five-foot-three, minus my horns, which added about six inches of height, despite really being a foot in length. So, I presume my strength also increased at least by a factor of ten," Dragonis explained.

"Ah. So, Fusonium increased you by ten, while Quantonium only increased me by nine. I was 5'6". Hmm. Interesting. I wonder, could I beat you in an arm-wrestling competition?" Susan mused.

Dragonis grinned. "Wanna find out?"

Susan grinned. "Sure!"

Susan sat on one side of the table in her chair, while Dragonis sat on the other side on the end of the couch. Both rested their elbows on the table and clasped hands. After a quick count down, the battle began. Susan seemed to get the upper hand at first and Dragonis' arm slowly lowered towards the table. However, the dragon-lady wasn't going to be beaten that easily. She pushed back, using power from her shoulder as well, to push Susan's hand back. Susan was surprised to find Dragonis was so powerful. Slowly her hand started to lower towards the table. The white haired giantess pushed back and regained some ground. Dragonis strained, but Susan had managed to get them even again.

"Twenty bucks says Ginormica wins," said Link smiling at his friend.

"I'm sorry, but I believe Dragonis has this contest," said Cockroach.

"I think that toaster looks shiny," Bob said randomly, looking at a shiny toolbox in Cockroach's lab.

Insecto roared.

"See? Insecto agrees with me," said Link puffing up his chest.

"They always like this?" Dragonis asked.

"Pretty much," Susan replied.

The competition lasted about an hour before both giants admitted defeat.

"Well, it seems we are tied for strength. That's good," said Dragonis rubbing her slightly sore upper arm.

"Yeah. That way we won't accidentally kill each other," Susan chuckled, rubbing her own arm.

* * *

When dinner came and Dragonis found her meal consisted of live sheep, she wasn't particularly pleased. "Ugh! I hate eating sheep. All that wool gives me indigestion and I get it stuck between my teeth," she muttered licking her teeth, trying to dislodge some of the wool.

"Oo! I can help!" Bob said enthusiastically leaping into Dragonis' mouth.

The stunned dragon-lady nearly gagged in shock, but managed to keep her meal down. Bob absorbed all the wool from between her teeth and leapt out of her mouth. Dragonis licked her teeth again.

"Thanks, Bob. But next time, warn me before you leap randomly into my mouth. I nearly lost my dinner," she said.

"OK!" was the brainless blob's reply.

Dragonis looked around at the facility and sighed. Susan reached over and patted her shoulder.

"Hey, it's not that bad once you get used to it," she said comfortingly.

"It's not that. Well, it is, but I know I can never leave this place. I literally don't fit in anymore. I can't enter buildings unless they're tall enough inside, I have to be careful where I put my feet 'cause anyone I step on will be killed… heck! I can't even feed myself anymore! I'll be fine. I just… need some time to adjust. It's all a bit surreal still," Dragonis held her head in her hands.

"I know. Still, you're handling this way better than I did. I was a mess for weeks after my capture," Susan said.

"Yes, well, I've always been a freak. Just not a fifty foot tall freak," Dragonis sighed. "I'm tired. I'd like to get some sleep," she said pushing herself to her feet and heading for her room.

"Will she be alright do you think?" Susan asked Cockroach, knowing full well he would have listened in on her talk with Dragonis and observed the dragon's behavior.

"Yes. I believe she will be just fine. She's just… coping. From the sound of her story, she's had plenty of experience in that department, hence why she's actually taking this whole situation so well. But we shouldn't be too surprised if she's quiet and moody for a few days. She still needs time to process everything that's happened," said Cockroach.

"Why hasn't Monger shown up? He always talks to the new arrivals," Link observed.

"He had quite a bit of paperwork to fill out for Dragonis. Apparently, a lot of people want her dead. That bio-lab claims she killed twenty of their employees when she escaped," Susan said.

"She didn't though," Monger's voice suddenly interjected. "She did cause quite a bit of property damage and injured quite a few people, but no actual fatalities or even serious injuries occurred. Libra Bio-Tech has been on the government's radar for suspected illegal experimentation for years. Now we have proof. I'm no liberal animal lover, but I wouldn't treat a rat the way they treated her."

"General! So, what are you going to do with her?" Susan asked.

Monger shrugged. "The only thing we can do. Take care of her. And by that I mean feed, clothe, house, and protect her. She actually came willingly. Didn't even have to restrain her. Anyway, looks like you've got a new friend, Ginormica."

Susan smiled. "We all have a new friend and teammate, but I know what you meant, General. It is nice to have another person my size and a girl to boot."

"Yeah, well… goodnight, Monsters. Breakfast is at 07:00 hours. Make sure the newbie gets up," Monger said as he flew off.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Settling In.

As she entered her room, Dragonis noticed the changes. The walls were anodized a soothing light forest green, there was a desk against the back wall, a dresser on the wall to the left of that, some floor-to-ceiling shelves filling the wall opposite the dresser, and an oblong metal basket-like structure in the back corner opposite the desk. She smiled. So the general had been listening when she said she preferred a nest over a bed. She curled up in the soft, comfy, fire-resistant material her nest was lined with and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Dragonis woke early. She wasn't quite sure what time it was as she looked around her dark and peacefully quiet room. Then she noticed the clock on her dresser.

"5:45am. Hmm. Typical," she muttered crawling out of her warm nest.

Dragonis stretched and yawned like a cat. She popped her spine from the base of her skull to the tip of her tail, arching her back and sighing in pleasure. She also cracked her wing joints and rolled her shoulders. She then headed out to the dark, quiet common room and grabbed her mug from the table. She walked over to the bathroom she shared with Susan and filled her mug from the sink, moving as quietly as possible to avoid waking the others.

Monger was up and happened to glance at the monitor viewing the monsters' common room. "Hmm. Seems Dragonis is an early riser. Or it could just be she's gettin' used to the changes in her life. We'll see," the general muttered to himself.

Susan woke up to the sound of an explosion. She sighed. "Doc's up early again. If he even slept at all. Oh, well. No use trying to go back to sleep," the white haired giantess muttered, crawling out of her nice warm bed.

As she entered the still dark common room, hair tussled and sleep-sand still in her eyes, Susan heard Dragonis say, "You alright, Doctor? That explosion sounded bad."

Dr. Cockroach's somewhat muffled voice soon answered. "Perfectly alright, my dear. Just a slight miscalculation on the amount of gel-igniter. Not to worry."

"The Doc typically blows something up multiple times a day. The rest of us pretty much ignore it, unless he blows something important up," Susan said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning, Susan. I take it the explosion woke you?" Dragonis asked.

"Yeah. I would have been woken up in half an hour anyway. Breakfast is at 07:00 hours on the dot, and Monger seldom lets us sleep in. Not that I'm complaining," Susan replied, yawning again.

"Okay. I've always been an early riser, so I woke up about fifteen minutes ago," Dragonis stated, stretching.

"Good for you. I'm gonna go do something about this hair and take a cold shower. Best way to finish waking up." Susan moved towards the bathroom to start her morning routine.

* * *

Soon, the monsters were all gathered around the table, with the exception of Insectosaurus, since she was so big she seldom left her habitat. At 07:00 precisely, they were served their respective meals. Dragonis looked around from one face to the next, a happy, contented smile on her face. She could get used to this place. Here, life seemed pretty good.

In all honesty, Dragonis and the other monsters' needs were simple and few. They knew that this was their home, freedom or no freedom. Here, they were cared for and they were safe. Even Susan had, some time ago, come to realize that she was really just content to have a warm place to sleep and regular meals. She knew there was no way she could care for herself anymore due to her size and was content to rely on Monger for her needs, for though gruff, the old general had earned the monsters' trust.

* * *

Monger watched as his monsters went through their morning routine. He knew that even though he was no longer their prison warden, he was responsible for their well-being. In a way, he saw them to be like his kids. He knew they were really harmless creatures, who just wanted to live and let live.

"General Monger, sir! Are you sure those monsters won't attack? They're pretty fearsome," a new young cadet asked.

Monger sighed. "Son, I've been caring for these monsters for a long time. They're harmless. Take a good look at them and what do you see?"

"Um… I see fangs, claws, huge size, mad science, scales…"

Monger cut the cadet off. "No, no, no! I mean look past all that surface stuff to the stuff underneath. What would you say their general mood is right now? Just take a guess."

"Um… I'd say they look… happy," the young man replied.

"And do you know why they're happy?" Monger asked, looking directly at the cadet.

The cadet gulped, afraid of getting the answer wrong, but taking a stab at it anyway. "Um… I guess it's 'cause they just ate?"

"Not really. They're happy, because they feel safe, loved, and cared for here. We do feed 'em, water 'em, house 'em, and clothe 'em where applicable, but also, and more importantly, me and several of the base personnel have become rather friendly with them. We talk with 'em, play cards, and do other things with 'em. It helps 'em feel like part of the family, and they are. Each and every one of 'em'd lay down their life for any of us if they had to," Monger affirmed.

The cadet stared at the general with wide eyes, unable to really bring himself to fully believe his words. Monger shook his head as he dismissed the cadet. Rookies. They always took some breaking in before they could really trust the monsters.

* * *

Meanwhile, the monsters were all gathered around their new friend. Dragonis recounted her life story for them; how she was born a mutant freak, abandoned at the age of six, her struggle to survive in a world that feared and hated her for what she could do, and finally, meeting Monger.

"I was still in shock from being hit by that meteor and growing to fifty-two-and-a-half feet, so when this swarm of special forces swooped in and pointed guns at me, I just stayed quiet and made myself as small as possible. Then this general came flying in on a jetpack and ordered the men to stand down, seeing as I was clearly frightened. He then offered me a home, where I would be fully cared for. I knew enough to know I had no way of caring for myself now, so I did the only sensible thing and accepted. I think I shocked a few of the soldiers by my submissiveness." Dragonis smiled, leaning back on the giant-size couch.

"Yeah. People always seem so shocked to find out how passive we really are. It's like they think just because we have the power to cause destruction, we inherently want to cause destruction," Susan mused.

Dragonis shrugged. "People inherently fear what they don't understand and cannot control. So, what do you all do for fun around here?"

Susan tucked her legs under her. "Well, you've already been to the gym/battle room, so… there's the library, we've got every channel world wide on the TV, we've got near-unlimited internet access, and we can go topside whenever we want. There's lots of open desert we can run and play around on. You know, really let loose and have some good old-fashioned heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, sweat making fun. There's also a huge lake in the oasis we can go swimming in to cool off or just have fun."

"Hmm, topside sounds awful tempting. I could use a good flight and maybe a swim." Dragonis stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm gonna watch the football game," Link said, flipping on the TV.

"Yeah! Go Tigers!" Bob yelled, sliding next to Link.

"Uh, Bob, that's baseball. You're thinking of the Detroit Lions and they don't play today," said Link.

"Oh. Well… go whoever you are!"

Dragonis chuckled. "So, how about you, Doc? Wanna go topside with me?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear. I have some rather delicate experiments I want to get on with. You go ahead and have fun." Doctor Cockroach scurried up to his lab and started fiddling with test tubes and beakers.

"Come on, Dragonis. I'll go with you. I'd like to get out and stretch my legs anyway," Susan smiled, leading the way to the hatch.

* * *

Dragonis stepped out onto the desert sands and tilted her head back, closing her eyes, just soaking up the sunshine. A deep rumbling sound resonated in her chest, a sign of pleasure and happiness. She loved this heat and blazing sunlight. It calmed her and made her feel cozy and comfortable. However, she wasn't just out here to enjoy the sunshine and desert heat, she was out here to stretch her wings. Opening her eyes, Dragonis slowly spread her wings.

Susan gasped in surprise and wonder. Dragonis's wings were huge! Her wingspan was twice as long as she was tall, the massive membranes stretched out between long, almost finger-like flight bones. However, unlike a bat's, Dragonis' wings were jointed in a manner like the mythical dragons and gargoyles. This enabled her to fold her wings down her back, rather than having to wrap them around her body, though she could still do that if she wanted.

Susan watched in amazement as Dragonis, with a powerful leap, launched herself sixty feet in the air. Bringing her massive wings down in a powerful stroke, she propelled herself even higher. Several powerful flaps helped her gain altitude, then she leveled off and just soared through the air on her magnificent wine-colored wings. Watching her fly was like watching a track runner run or a dancer dance. It was clear Dragonis loved flying and it was as natural to her as breathing. She swooped and dived and rolled and pulled all sorts of aerial tricks, moving through the sky in a sort of aerial dance. Susan was surprised when she suddenly swooped down and landed in front of her.

"Wanna ride?" the dragon-woman asked with an ear to ear smile.

Susan blinked. "Are you sure I'm not… not too heavy? I weigh twelve tons you know."

"Pshaw! That's nothin'! I can carry ten times that in-fight, easy. Come on!" Dragonis wrapped her arms around Susan from behind and took off.

Susan gasped. The view was incredible! She could see everything from up here. Area 52 spread out in a neat two mile square, with the containment facility on the south side. The desert stretched for miles upon miles in all directions, sealing the base from the outside world. Susan then noticed the feeling of flying. The rush of wind past her face, the adrenaline rush… it was amazing!

"Wanna try some tricks?" Susan could feel Dragonis smiling in those words.

"Sure!" the excited giantess exclaimed.

"Alright! Hold on!" Dragonis tightened her grip ever so slightly, then climbed rapidly.

At the peak of her climb, she tilted downwards and folded her wings, letting gravity pull them back towards the earth. At the last second, she snapped her huge wings open and swooped back up into the sky. She did several twists and turns, pulled a loop-de-loop, and barrel rolled. Susan was amazed by the sensation of flying and her friend's skill. When they landed, she was a little breathless from the exhilaration.

"That was… amazing! How can you stand to land when you clearly enjoy flying so much?" Susan asked.

Dragonis smiled and laughed. "I have to sleep sometime."

Susan blushed a bit in embarrassment. Dragonis smiled and patted her on the back. "So, where's this swimming hole you told me about?"

Susan at once smiled. "Right this way."

She led the way to a desert oasis a little to the west of the base. Dragonis' jaw dropped. On every side, there were mile-high mountains that kept everything green and considerably cooler. In the center of this valley, was a huge lake. A mile in diameter and a hundred feet deep, it was a perfect swimming hole for the giantesses. This particular oasis was an anomaly. Bearing the name, the 'Dragon's Jaw', as it's shape was rather similar to the lower jaw of a dragon when viewed from above, its exact origin was a mystery. However, it was also one reason Area 52 was built where it was. The lake in the Dragon's Jaw was fed by another huge underground lake about halfway between it and the base. It was this underground reservoir that kept the base supplied with fresh water and made life right smack in the middle of the desert possible.

* * *

When they reached the lakeshore, Susan surprised Dragonis by stripping to her bra and panties. Susan caught the surprised look. "What? You don't expect me to swim in my uniform do you?"

Dragonis blinked. "Uh, no. You just surprised me is all. I, on the other hand, have yet to receive a set of undergarments, so I'll just swim like this," she replied, gesturing to her black tank top and shorts.

The water was clear and cool and felt good after the heat of the desert air. If Susan thought Dragonis had been good in the air, she soon revealed she was just as good in the water. The dragon-lady dived deep, twisting and turning through the water like an eel. Her powerful tail helped her maneuver through the water and she could hold her breath for a very long time. Susan followed her, since she too, could hold her breath much longer than she could before her transformation into a giantess.

The two giantesses played for a while, chasing each other around the lake, splashing each other occasionally, and just having fun. After about an hour or so, they waded out of the lake and lay on a nice flat rock in the sun, drying off, enjoying the nice day and the azure sky above. The warm sun and the dry desert air soon dried them and they headed back to the base.

When they arrived, General Monger was in the common room looking displeased. "It's about time you two ladies decided to show up! We've got alien ships inbound to Earth's atmosphere."

"Are they hostile?" Susan asked.

"Unknown. And I hate unknowns. However, it seems they're headed for Asia, so it's out of our jurisdiction. Still, the President has put us on stand-by in case the Chinese or Russians, we still don't know which one the aliens are headed to, call for our assistance. Personally, I'd go up there and wreck the ships, but it's not up to me," Monger frowned.

Just then Dragonis looked at the screen. "Oh, great. Those guys are back?" she moaned.

"What? You know these aliens, Dragonis?" Monger demanded.

"Yeah. Let's just say they're not too bright and are what could be considered indiscriminate eaters," Dragonis crossed her arms, growling in obvious disdain.

"So… they're here to…" Susan gulped. "Eat us?"

"Pretty much. General, I suggest you get China on the phone. Judging by their flightpath, that's where they'll be headed first," Dragonis turned to the general.

Monger balked. "First? You mean they won't just snatch a bunch of Chinese and leave?"

Dragonis shook her head. "Nope. They like a variety."

* * *

Within two hours, Monster Force One was headed for China. When the Chinese President learned of the aliens' intentions, he at once demanded that Monster Force be dispatched to handle the threat. They landed a few moments after the aliens did. Dragonis at once took the lead on this one, having apparently dealt with these aliens before.

"Ah! Frectar Lecbun. How nice of you to show up again," she sneered, stalking towards the alien leader.

The alien leader, who was an eight foot tall, four armed, fang faced, dark-blue skinned, bipedal creature, looked shocked. "Dragonis! Wh-what are you doing here? And, uh, how did you get so big?!"

Dragonis grinned, revealing her own fearsome fangs to good effect. "I'm here to put a stop to your dinner plans. You see, I really don't appreciate it when someone kidnaps me and tries to cook me. I get positively livid when said someone comes back for seconds on my planet."

Frectar yelped and jumped back when Dragonis snapped at him, baring her fangs and growling. "I-I can assure you that we have no intentions of cooking anyone! Here! Th-this book proves it! It's called, _How To Serve Man_. It will help the peoples of Earth better themselves!"

"Oh! You mean that cookbook you're holding? Seriously? Who here hasn't seen _The Twilight Zone_?" Dragonis asked.

A few people raised their hands, but most looked horrified. Dragonis rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Frectar, you really are not too bright. I mean, every other alien race knows that you never copy something from planetary entertainment. They expect that."

"Well… what if I changed the title to, _How To Serve Man And Woman_?" Frectar asked.

Dragonis face-palmed. "Ok, enough with the smalltalk. Unless _you_ want to be slow-roasted alive for two-point-seven Earth hours, I suggest you leave. Now."

Frectar gulped and started backing away. Dragonis casually blew a puff of fire at him, causing him to leap ten feet in the air shrieking, then bolt back into the ship. The alien craft soon took off and disappeared. Dragonis chuckled. "We won't be seeing them again. Let's go home."

She was stopped dead in her tracks by a swarm of people rushing up to her to thank her in Chinese and broken English. Seeing Dragonis' look of confusion, Susan stepped up to her side, carefully. "Welcome to being a hero. Seriously, this happens all the time. You get used to it," she smiled.

"Yeah? Well, I just want to go home," Dragonis replied, trying to figure out how to get back to MF1 without crushing anybody.

However, a government official soon walked up to the monsters and declared, "The President has decreed a grand feast in your honor. If you will follow me, I will take you to the place."

Dragonis looked at Susan. "I suppose this happens all the time too?"

Susan grinned and nodded. Dragonis shrugged and carefully followed the official.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Backwater Planet.

While Monger and the monsters were teaching Dragonis the 'finer points' of being a hero, in another part of the galaxy, a clandestine meeting was taking place.

* * *

"Are you certain the readings are correct?" asked a tall, furry alien sporting a uniform made of a silver cloth-like material and a gold crown-like headband holding back a thick, bright red mane.

Another alien, wearing a black uniform with a silver battle-helm, bowed to the other before speaking. "There can be no doubt, my lord. The planet is rich with organic life. All we would have to contend with are primitive technologies and pitiful defenses. Nothing that could stand up to even our most ancient of ships."

"How can you be so sure? We've had trouble with such weak looking planets in the past," the leader said, keeping his back to the soldier, his red furred hands clasped behind him.

The soldier rubbed his blue beard-like fur. "Lord Carnek, the planet is divided against itself. Our scouting probes have shown that the natives are quarrelsome and often fight with each other over the most trivial matters. Unlike with other inferior worlds, this one has no uniting force. They will be easily crushed by our superior might and unity."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. If there is one thing I have learned, Corvel, it is that an outside alien threat, can often unite a planet more swiftly than anything else. However, this particular planet intrigues me. What of the natives, these, hairless apes?"

Corvel glanced down at a holographic readout on his vambrace. "Um, homo sapiens I believe is what they call themselves. More colloquial terminology would be humans. At any rate, they are actually quite weak in terms of physical strength for their size, though, they are also quite small. The average male only stands around two trecals and the average female stands a few mectacals shorter. The average litter is about one or two offspring per conception and the species is very promiscuous in most cases, though a few seem to mate for life.

"Despite being significantly weaker than most other species of their planet, the humans seem to be able to dominate and tame most of the creatures into their service. They are also the only species on the planet capable of creating technologies of any kind, despite their being greatly inferior to anything else in the galaxy. However, studies do seem to indicate that they are intelligent enough to where they could be trained for manual labor or, if nothing else, exotic pets."

"Exotic pets?" Lord Carnek's ears twitched at that.

"Um… yes. You see, they seem to be quite adaptable and dexterous with proper training and even have what they call 'entertainment professions'," Corvel replied.

"Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting. Yes, I believe this will work out quite nicely. Commander Corvel, tell Captain Sirok to set a course for Earth. The Balagon Slavers are back in business, starting with the rarest commodity in all the known galaxy. Humans," Lord Carnek turned to face the commander, a broad grin splitting his loin-like face.

Commander Corvel was about to comply, but an urgent message interrupted him. Tapping his helmet communicator, he looked back up at Lord Carnek. "Um… my lord… we just received some… complicating news. It seems that the Lirigondi have discovered Earth and have declared it a protected planet."

Lord Carnek's grin turned into a snarl as he slammed his fist down on his desk. "Those vile carther dung pracs! They and their, 'we must protect and preserve the rare species of the galaxy' make me sick! Set course anyway. They can't declare a planet full of dangerous, hostile creatures protected."

"Forgive the question, my lord, but how exactly does that help us? Our research indicates the humans are anything but dangerous."

"So, we'll just have to find some dangerous creatures on Earth."

"And if we don't?"

"Do I have to spell everything out for you? If we don't find any dangerous creatures, we'll just have to make some," Lord Carnek said, his golden eyes glowing with anger and frustration.

Commander Corvel got an 'ah-ha' look on his face and grinned. "I see. I think I can have the lab work something up."

The commander then left to carry out his orders, leaving a still angry, but quickly calming Carnek in his quarters. "You'd better tell the lab rats to whip up something good, or I'll have your head stuffed and mounted on my wall, Corvel. Mark my words. No one, tells Carnek, Lord of the Balagon Slavers what to do."

 **Author's Note: And now we get to the big baddies. Also, I have no idea what a trecal or mectacal is. I just made them up to have some form of alien measurements. Lastly, I should probably mention I went back and rewrote the first chapter, changing quite a few things and split it in half as I felt it was just too long.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: To Hide the Pain Inside.

 _It was cramped and stunk of fear as her fellow prisoners whimpered and cried. Dragonis growled in frustration as she shook the bars of the cage. Unfortunately, these were not ordinary steel bars that she could simply tear apart. These were made of some sort of alien metal that she couldn't even bend. Soon, one of the aliens came back, holding a set of shackles in his hands. Dragonis felt her stomach churn as the blue, fang-faced freak looked over the captured humans like so much cattle. Licking his lips, the alien opened the door and slapped the shackles on Dragonis._

 _Dragonis' first instinct was to fight, but figuring she'd only be swapped for some unfortunate normal human, decided to play the sneaky card. She let herself be led to what she assumed was the kitchen. The place was awful. There were three fire pits and six ovens, all working full blast. Dragonis could hear the screams of creatures being roasted alive and the stench of burning hair, feathers, and flesh was stinging her nostrils._

 _The alien tugged on her chains and led her to one of the fire pits, where he then secured her to a spit. "You'll make for a tasty meal, my pet. I've never seen a human that looked like a Bolka Lizardman before. My two favorite dishes all in one tasty package," the alien chuckled as he prepared to shove Dragonis into the flames._

 _"Wait! What is your name? I want to know before I die," Dragonis demanded, her eyes blazing almost as much as the fire meant to roast her._

 _The alien paused and considered a moment. "Eh, why not. I am Frectar Lecbun, human. Remember that name, for it is the last you shall ever hear. Mwahahaha!"_

* * *

Dragonis gasped, bolting upright and panting. She had no idea why the dream always effected her like this. She'd beaten Frectar and escaped with most of the other humans he and his crew had captured. Her dragon powers made her fireproof and she had somehow managed to pick the locks on the shackles and escape the fire pit. She'd then managed to free the other humans, commandeer one of the smaller scout ships, and somehow make it back to Earth. She still didn't know how she pulled that one off, but she had and now Frectar and his kind would no longer trouble the Earth, now that she was a giant and all.

Still, Dragonis couldn't shake the feelings of fear the nightmare stirred up in her. She curled back up into a ball, wrapping her wings and tail securely around herself, like she always did when frightened and trying to comfort herself. Eventually, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

In the next room, Susan stirred and woke. She wasn't sure what had woken her, until she heard and felt her stomach rumble again. Susan glanced at the clock on her wall, noting the time was 2:34am. She rolled back over and tried to go back to sleep, but her stomach refused to be ignored and growled again. Sighing, Susan crawled out of bed and headed out into the common room. After half-blindly stumbling across the room to the intercom, Susan pressed the button for the kitchen.

"Hello?" the cook asked in his sleepy Southern drawl.

"Hey, Jackson? It's Ginormica. Sorry to wake you, but…"

"But you've got a case of the midnight munchies? No problem, big G. I'll whip ya up somethin' ta chew on," Jackson replied.

"Thanks, Jackson. You're the best," Susan smiled.

"Aw, shucks. Just doin' my job," Jackson said, before getting to work.

Susan stretched, then settled down to wait, knowing full well it'd be a good fifteen minutes or so. She was soon startled however, by a scream from Dragonis' room. Concerned for her friend, Susan ran to her door, praying that it was unlocked. It was, and Susan wasted no time running to her friend's aid. Dragonis was thrashing violently in her sleep, her face twisted in a grimace of fear and pain. She rolled out of her nest, still screaming and thrashing on the floor. Susan was at a loss as to how to help her friend, for Dragonis' thrashing wings, arms, tail, and legs were powerful and unpredictable. Still, her friend was in trouble, so Susan threw caution to the wind and leapt on top of her.

"Dragonis! Dragonis, wake up!" Susan exclaimed, trying to pin her friend's thrashing limbs, while trying to wake her.

Dragonis let out one final scream before jolting awake panting and covered in sweat again. With a tired moan, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. "S-susan? What… what happened?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing. This is the third time you've had this bad of a nightmare that I'm aware of. What's going on, Dragonis? What's hurting you?" Susan asked, her gentle blue eyes looking concerned.

Dragonis looked away, closing her eyes, but remaining silent.

Susan sighed. "Dragonis, you can't keep shutting us out like this. We're your friends, you can trust us. We want to help you."

"You can't help me. No one can. Please, Susan, just drop it," Dragonis said, still refusing to look at her friend.

"No, I won't drop it. Not anymore. Dragonis, ever since you got here, you've been… distant. Something's bothering you, hurting you, and as your friend, I insist on knowing what it is so I can help you. Look, I know what it's like to have secret fears. Nightmares that just won't quit and leave you alone. My friends helped me get through my nightmare, so please, let me do the same for you," Susan said gently.

A rough, humorless laugh escaped Dragonis. "You know what it's like? Really?" She turned to look at Susan, causing the white-haired giantess to gasp at the haunted look in her eyes. "Tell me, Susan; do you know what it's like to be kidnapped by aliens who intended to cook you alive? Do you know what it's like to be dragged into a kitchen and hear the screams of other unfortunate creatures as they're slowly being roasted to death? Have you ever smelled the stench of hair and flesh burning? Have you ever had your captor boast to you that you were going to die and there wasn't one blasted thing you could do about it?"

At that last one, Susan's face grew hard. "Yes. Yes, I have had my captor boast to me that I was going to die and that there was nothing I could do about it. I may not have experienced the other things, Dragonis, but don't you dare ever say I don't know what it's like to wake up screaming and sweating after a nightmare about my capture by Gallaxhar!"

Dragonis blinked, shocked by Susan's sudden outburst. "I'm… sorry. I didn't know."

"How could you? All you've done since you got here two months ago was try to hide your pain from us. Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I guess I'm still not over the whole Gallaxhar incident yet," Susan replied, rubbing the back of her head.

Dragonis sighed. "You never 'get over it'. You just… learn to live with it I guess. I'm sorry for shutting you and the others out, Susan. I just didn't want to burden you with my problems."

Susan pulled the dragon-woman into a hug. "You could never be a burden, Dragonis. Like I said before, we're your friends here. We want to help you. Please, don't shut us out."

Dragonis sighed again. "It won't be easy, but I'll try to be more open with you. Maybe, together we can learn to put the past to rest."

"Yeah. Maybe," Susan replied, standing. "Meanwhile, I think Jackson should be about done fixing my snack. You want something? It might help take your mind off things."

Dragonis shook her head. "Nah. I can't eat when I'm stressed or worried. A hundred gallons or so of chamomile tea might help though."

"I don't know if the base has that much on hand, but I could ask Jackson if you like," Susan offered.

"Nah, it's ok. I'll just lie still and try to calm down. I doubt I'm going to be able to sleep anymore tonight anyway," Dragonis replied.

"Ok. I'll see you at breakfast then," Susan said, leaving her friend to crawl back into bed and try to rest.

* * *

At the training session later that day, Dragonis was a furious fighting machine. She roared, lunging at a holographic enemy soldier with her tail, impaling him through the chest with the spike at the end. Looking up she saw another troop transport heading their way and took off, flying straight towards it, claws outstretched.

"Dragonis! Wait! You're supposed to provide cover fire!" Susan exclaimed.

Dragonis wasn't listening however, and pounced on the transport, tearing the top off in fury. She then picked up the transport and hurled it as far as she could. Just then the simulation was cut and Monger flew in on his jetpack.

"What in the Sam Hill is wrong with you, Dragonis? You broke formation and refused to follow orders. If you were a soldier, you'd be court-martialed," Monger said, looking displeased, but also worried.

Dragonis roared and smashed her massive fist into the wall, damaging some of the hologram projectors. After a moment, she exhaled heavily through her nose, snorting smoke. "Sorry, General. I'm just… I don't really know what I am right now. Angry, frustrated, worried."

Monger got an understanding look in his eyes. "I know, kid. I was wondering when this was gonna happen."

Dragonis looked up at the general, a confused look on her face. "Excuse me, sir? I don't understand."

"I knew from the first you were holding something in. Bottling up something you didn't want to burden others with. I've seen it before. Soldiers go through a traumatic event and try to brush it off like no big deal. They feel they should be able to get over it, to move on, but it gnaws away at 'em till they just can't take it anymore and they crack. Then, one of two things happens. Either, they get the help they need or they go off the deep end. Which will you do?" Monger looked at the fifty-foot dragon-lady keenly, but not unkindly.

Dragonis looked at the general, then around at each of the faces of her friends. Hanging her head, she sighed. "I know I can't do this on my own anymore. I shouldn't have tried in the first place. I see that now. I'm willing to let you help me."

Monger smiled. "That's good to hear. That's enough training for today. We'll have to shut the battle room down for repairs anyway, thanks to someone smashing three of the projectors."

Dragonis chuckled. "Ok. I deserved that one. I still can't believe M.O.I. actually got off the ground and built this."

"Yeah! I never knew mutants existed until the group from the Mutant Organization of Innovation showed up and built this. Not to mention providing us with the MF1 and a few other things. You mutants sure have some awesome tech," Susan commented, looking over at Dragonis.

"Yeah. Due to our unique powers, we mutants have the capabilities to build new technologies that are beyond normal humans' current abilities. I thought about joining M.O.I. once, but…" Dragonis suddenly got quiet, a sad look in her eyes.

Dr. Cockroach looked up at her. "But what, my dear?"

Dragonis sighed. "I promised I'd be open with you guys, so I guess I should tell you. Several years ago, a group of mutants got together with the idea to form an organization to design, build, and create technologies that would help better mankind, among other things. However, they couldn't quite agree on what to focus on. Some wanted to focus on the medical field and earn normals' good graces that way. Others wanted to go through the military with weapons and transports.

"During that time, I was seven or eight and staying with an older mutant, Silas Bale. He was one of my first teachers, but he was also a mutant of some importance in the 'underground' community, since mutants were considered to be monsters at the time. Anyway, Silas held several meetings at his house to discuss the matter between the various founders of M.O.I. and hopefully come to a compromise. I was fascinated by the proceedings and wanted to join M.O.I. in the hopes of one day getting normals to see mutants as people too. Unfortunately, there was a traitor in the group. At one of the meetings, a team of black ops showed up. Most of the group were captured for government experiments, but there were deaths as well. Silas was killed in the fight and his last words to me were orders to run. I did, but I looked back and saw the traitor pull a knife out of his back."

Susan blinked. "But, I thought mutants couldn't be killed with weapons."

"Normal weapons, no. It's almost impossible to overload a mutant's natural heal factor, but it is possible. The most efficient way, is by coating a weapon with a certain type of synthetic poison that only a handful of mutants have the necessary abilities make. It's called the Ultimate Death, since it's the only poison that can kill mutants. Not much is needed and the antidote is as rare as the poison itself," tears were flowing down Dragonis' face now.

"It's not your fault. You would have been captured or killed too if you hadn't run," Susan said, wrapping her friend in a hug.

"You don't get it! I could have saved him! I can make the cure for the poison!" Dragonis exclaimed, twisting out of Susan's embrace. "I could have cured him, but instead, I ran like the coward I am."

Susan held Dragonis' shoulders at arm's length, looking her hard in the eyes. "Now you listen to me, Dragonis. You are not a coward. I know you feel like you could have saved your friend and it's all your fault for running, but it's not. You were just a kid and you were outnumbered. There's nothing you could have done."

"NO! I could have done something! I know it!" Dragonis pushed Susan away and ran from the room, her footfalls thudding down the passages.

Susan tuned to follow, but Monger blocked her path. "Let her go, Ginormica. Let her go."

"Yes, Susan. It will take some time for Dragonis to come to terms with the truth, but at least now, we know what's going on with her. Don't worry, my dear. We'll help her through this yet," Doctor Cockroach said, perching on Susan's shoulder.

Susan turned to him with a weak smile. "I know, but I still feel useless. I want to help her, but it feels like I've only pushed her away."

"You didn't, my dear," Cockroach smiled.

"The Doc's right. Dragonis has a lot of survivor's guilt to work through, but I'll be darned if we don't help her through it," Monger said, nodding stiffly as he about-faced and flew out of the room.


End file.
